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Monday, 23 July 2012

Finished Project: Chicago Tribune Mail Order Pattern

Hello lovely readers! I have another finished project for
you today. After getting distracted by sorbetto re-fashions and the Peony dress
I finally sat down on Sunday and made the Chicago Tribune dress I talked about
making the other month. Yes, you heard it - I made a dress, including
re-grading the pattern and making a muslin in the space of a day!

This was my first time working with an unmarked pattern and
it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be - in fact it's actually amazingly
straightforward! The original pattern was a 34" bust, so a size smaller
than my normal size. There was no information anywhere about the amount of ease
in the pattern so I traced the original pieces and graded the bodice up to a
36" bust.

Then I made a muslin... it was WAY too big at the front. I
had to take out 2" over the bust, grading down to 1" at the waist. So
I sewed up a second muslin using my graded up back bodice piece, but the
original 34" bodice front (with a 1" wedge taken out over the bust,
grading to nothing at the waist) - random way of doing things I know, but it
seemed to work fine!

I had this red cotton lawn in my stash and thought it would
be perfect for a sundress but it was a little thin, so I underlined it with a
thin muslin since it's what I had to hand.

I serged all the seams using my trusty new overlocker, but
the side zip was an absolute b*gger to put in! Especially since it doesn't
start at the top of the side seam. I got it in eventually though.

The only thing I might change about the dress is the
neckline. The pattern didn't call for any kind of seam binding / facing at the
neck, it just instructed you to fold the top of the neckline over. It's a
little narrow though and has a tendency to roll outwards so I might add some
seam binding along the edge as a facing.

All in all though I'm really pleased with this make and the
time it took to finish it. And it was made in perfect time make the most of the
sunshine that's come back!

3 comments:

Two muslins and a complete dress in one day? Wow! The result is fabulous, and the muslins were worthy as the fitting is perfect. Helen, you just got yourself a lovely dress. And you have a serger too, you lucky thing!